At UFC 328, an unusual statistical anomaly occurred twice: fighters who landed 8 or more takedowns in title fights still lost their bouts. Historically, UFC fighters who land 5 or more takedowns in title fights win 81.08% of the time, and those landing 7 or more win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev landed 9 takedowns while Tatsuro Taira landed 8, with Taira also controlling his opponent for nearly 11 minutes, yet both lost their championship fights. Taira's takedowns were particularly effective with full position and long control time, but he was still finished by Joshua Van despite not appearing tired or broken. The post analyzes how even elite wrestlers maintain only 80% victory chances and how total well-roundedness remains superior, as wrestling is energy-intensive and highly dependent on health, weight management, and circumstances.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
